In his new book “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies,” journalist Jonathan Alter quotes a generous contributor to the president’s campaigns as saying Barack Obama has “been humbled by the opposition’s intransigence.”

The supporter, according to Alter’s telling, added that Obama “had never failed to bring anyone around before, and it changed him.”

This episode comes from an early review of Alter’s book, which sets out to explain how Obama went from a 2010 midterm whipping at the hands of Republicans to a successful 2012 re-election. From the start, Obama could not break through the wall of inaction. Was he incapable of granting the Republicans a brand of Washington duality — allowing them to talk tough and quietly negotiate at the same time?

Washington observers have cited any number of former chief executives — Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson — as positive examples of how a president can cajole, bargain, harass or charm the loyal opposition to the bargaining table. Invite them to the White House, the pundits advise, wine ‘em, dine ‘em, make ‘em feel special. No matter what, don’t take all the rhetoric personal.

Whether Obama has thick skin or thin skin or whether he lacks the warm personality to persuade the opposition to drop its guard, it’s obvious he hasn’t been able to bridge the divide.

Some observers note that Republican opposition may be doing more than merely playing to the cameras.

The silver lining in this cloud is that the nation is no less challenged than when Obama became president. Republicans and Democrats don’t lack for incentives to work together to tackle employment, the economy, the future of energy production or climate change. They lack grassroots pressure to get them moving.

— Anniston (Ala.) Star